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 Volume 66, Number 11, June 13, 2006
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NEUROLOGY 2006;66:1730-1731
© 2006 American Academy of Neurology
Brief Communications

Ictal eye closure is a reliable indicator for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Steve S. Chung, MD, Paula Gerber, MD and Kristin A. Kirlin, PhD

From the Departments of Neurology (S.S.C., P.G.) and Clinical Neuropsychology (K.A.K.), Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Steve S. Chung, Department of Neurology, 500 West Thomas Road, Suite 300, Phoenix, AZ 85013; e-mail: sschung{at}chw.edu

Using data from video-EEG monitoring, the authors studied whether ictal eye closure was a reliable indicator of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Among the 52 patients with PNES, 50 consistently closed their eyes, while 152 of the 156 patients with epileptic seizures (ES) opened their eyes during seizures. These findings suggest that ictal eye closure is a highly reliable indicator for PNES, while ictal eye opening is an indicator of ES.

Additional material related to this article can be found on the Neurology Web site. Go to www.neurology.org and scroll down the Table of Contents for the June 13 issue to find the title link for this article.

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received July 20, 2005. Accepted in final form February 27, 2006.

See also pages 1644 and 1727


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Correspondence:

Read all Correspondence

Ictal eye closure is a reliable indicator for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Jeffrey A. Bounds, MD, JD
Neurology Online, 28 Sep 2006 [Full text]
Reply from the Authors
Steve S. Chung, et al.
Neurology Online, 28 Sep 2006 [Full text]